The Love Bug
by mitchkat1
Summary: Ladybug and Chat Noir are fighting the newest akuma, Aphrodite, and in the midst of the fight, Ladybug finds herself sprayed with a strange powder. The next morning, Marinette had become the apple of every guy's eye except for Adrien's? What the heck is going on?


**Happy Valentine's Day!**

* * *

The angry akuma blew a kiss and a dozen, razor sharp hearts came flying straight towards Ladybug and Chat Noir. "Duck!" Ladybug cried as she pushed her partner onto the ground. The hearts flew above their heads, narrowly missing. The heroes got back on their feet and examined the akuma in front of them.

It was a young woman with long, pink hair. She had on a delicate, white dress. Her face was the definition of perfection. She had deep brown eyes and beautiful skin. She was a goddess. Ladybug wouldn't hesitate to call her an angel if she hadn't been trying to kill them.

"I am Aphrodite," the woman laughed. Her voice was sweet like nectar. "Care to play this game of love, Ladybug and Chat Noir? Against me you have no chance!"

She chanted a spell in a strange language and a golden staff materialized in her hands. It was topped with a pink, crystal heart. She swirled it around, creating a pink whirlwind. The vortex expanded to engulf the heroes and the akuma.

"What's going on?" Ladybug shouted as she watched the cyclone grow in size. The wind made her eyes sting. She grabbed onto a nearby street lamp to stop herself from being blown away. Chat Noir had the same idea. His tail flapped widely in the wind.

"Try and stop me now!" the akuma giggled with a devious glint in her eyes. "You'll never win against my slave of love." The whirlwind suddenly stopped and Aphrodite snapped her fingers. Ladybug watched Chat Noir stand up straight as his eyes turned a deep red.

"Chat Noir?" Ladybug asked, waving her hand in front of his face. "Are you okay?" Chat Noir showed no response. Instead, he walked over towards Aphrodite and kneeled down in front of her. He offered her his hand and said, "Oh great goddess, Aphrodite, I pledge my love to thee. I shall be your slave if it means earning your love."

"What did you do to him?" Ladybug snarled. She gripped her yo-yo, prepared to throw it. She didn't want to fight Chat Noir again. This was beginning to become an annoying habit.

Aphrodite smiled and stroked Chat Noir's hair. "You're a very handsome boy. You'll do quite nicely." She bent down and kissed him on the forehead. Chat Noir turned pink and let out a weak gasp. His legs felt like jello.

Ladybug frowned as she watched. She was strangely jealous about Chat Noir showing affection towards another girl. That was reserved for her only. She stamped her foot and shouted, "Cut the chat!" Ladybug threw her yo-yo in anger, aiming for the heart on Aphrodite's staff. Surely the akuma was hiding in there.

Her yo-yo was stopped midair by an angry Chat Noir. "How dare you attack, my lady?" he exclaimed. Now, Ladybug was really mad. That was her nickname! Chat Noir let go of the yo-yo and lunged at Ladybug, claws bared. "I'll protect you, my sweet goddess!" he smiled as he glanced back at Aphrodite. He sounded like a boy deep in love.

"Snap out of it!" Ladybug shouted as she dodged her partner's attack. He showed no signs of giving up though. He took out his baton and extended it. He took a swing at Ladybug, but she jumped over his head and he missed. As the duo fought, Aphrodite watched from the sidelines in amusement.

"Prepare to be crushed, Ladybug," she whispered. "You'll discover it's no fun to have men on your back all the time!"

Ladybug dodged another of Chat's attacks. It was exactly the same as the time with Dark Cupid. Somehow, innocent love had been turned against her. But there was a way to fix that or at least that's what she hoped. If a kiss had worked last time, maybe it would work again?

"Come here, kitty," Ladybug coaxed. _"I can't believe I have to do this again,"_ she thought annoyed. _"If only this cat could keep himself out of trouble for five seconds."_ Chat Noir snickered at being called. He wasn't Ladybug's pet anymore. He only belonged to Aphrodite. For her, he would gladly give up his life.

Chat Noir stepped forward and Ladybug grabbed him by the paws. She brought him close to her chest and used her hands to keep his arms behind his back. "You keep clawing for kisses, don't you?" she sighed as she pressed her lips against his. She kept herself there for a little while. She didn't mind the kiss as much as last time. It felt more natural.

Chat Noir finally pulled away and shook his head. "W-what… What happened?" he said in a daze. Ladybug crossed her arms and nodded at Aphrodite who was still relaxing on the side. The akuma looked up in shock once she realized Chat Noir was no longer under her spell.

"How did you…" Aphrodite screamed, enraged. Then she spotted Chat Noir touching his lips with a bright, red face. It was obvious who this cute kitten was in love with. Aphrodite wouldn't be beat so easily. She had another plan up her sleeve and one that would make Chat Noir and Ladybug both suffer. No one made a fool out of her!

She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a small, golden bag. It was tied with a white ribbon. "It looks like the gods aren't on your side today," Aphrodite cackled. She slowly pulled on the ribbon, opening the bag.

Ladybug sprinted towards the akuma, prepared to use her lucky charm. Now that Chat Noir was back to normal, they could attack the akuma together. As Ladybug drew closer, Aphrodite stuck her hand into the bag and pulled out a handful of a fine, pink powder. She blew on the pile and its remnants landed on Ladybug.

Ladybug coughed as she inhaled the powder. "What the heck?" she said, stopping mid-run. The powder had coated her suit. When she looked up to chase after Aphrodite, the akuma had vanished. Was that the power of a Greek goddess? All she did was make a mess!

"Are you alright?" Chat Noir said, putting his hand on his lady. "I'm fine," she smiled. "But I'm covered in this weird powder. Is it supposed to do something?"

"I don't know, but you smell really good… like flowers," Chat Noir sniffed happily. Ladybug pushed him back and moaned. "Keep it to yourself thanks. Anyways, it looks like the akuma got away. I'll be heading home, but keep an eye out. She could be anywhere and I don't want you turned into a 'love slave' again." Ladybug shuttered at the mere mention of the words.

"I promise, m'lady," Chat Noir grinned. He grabbed Ladybug's hand and gave it a kiss. "A sign of our promise," he winked. Ladybug rolled her eyes, but smiled. She could hardly keep up with Chat Noir's flirty attitude. She waved him good-bye and swung away, leaving a love-struck Chat Noir behind.

The next morning, Marinette woke up, ready to go. "First I have to get through school," she told Tikki. "Then I have to go after that akuma. I have a bad feeling for some reason. I don't want her running around the streets of Paris."

"Agreed!" Tikki smiled.

Marinette told her parents she was leaving and grabbed a croissant for the road and one for Tikki. She opened the bakery door and stepped outside. From that moment, she realized something strange was going on.

"Excuse me, miss," a handsome, young man shouted, quickly running over to Marinette. Marinette pointed at herself, confused. _"Is he talking to me?"_ Marinette wondered. _"Oh great, there's probably something on my face. Boys don't usually come talk to me for fun."_ The man stood in front of Marinette and kneeled down, like he was proposing. _"Wait… what?"_

"I was so captivated by your beauty," the man exclaimed. "I had to know your name."

"I'm Marinette…" she said slowly. "And I'm afraid I'll be late for school. It was nice to… err… meet you." Marinette tried to shoo the man away. She was smart enough to know about stranger danger. You shouldn't trust people that randomly approach you and call you beautiful. Marinette took a step to the side, prepared to make an escape, but the man stopped her.

"That's a wonderful name!" he smiled. "I'm Elliot. Would you let me escort you to school?" Elliot grinned shyly and rubbed his palms against his pants. They were surprisingly sweaty. Marinette noticed his odd behavior. She felt bad for rejecting him since he seemed nice, but she really needed to get to school and didn't want Adrien to see her showing up with a random boy.

"That's very kind of you, but I have to go," Marinette replied. Elliot put his hand to his heart and sighed. "Will I ever see you again?" he asked. "Maybe…" Marinette said quickly and then she sprinted towards the school. _"What the heck was that?"_ she screamed internally. _"That guy was totally hitting on me. Talk about weird."_

And it didn't end there. Marinette was approached by three other young men before she made it to school. Each one flattered her with compliments and asked her name. They wanted to take her out to eat or escort her to school. One man asked her to marry him on the spot and they had never even met before!

" _I don't know what's wrong with everyone today,"_ she thought as she entered her classroom. _"I didn't do anything different today. I'm wearing the same clothes and have the same hairstyle as always. Maybe I just have bad luck…"_

Marinette sighed as she took a seat at her desk. It had been a stressful and exhausting morning, rejecting all those guys. Each one seemed depressed once she told them she wasn't interested. She didn't know if she was thinking to highly of herself when she felt guilty about breaking their hearts. Alya looked over at her friend who was sighing to herself. Alya rolled her eyes. Marinette had a knack for being overdramatic.

A bouquet of roses suddenly fell in front of Marinette. She and Alya looked up in surprise and found a blushing Kim. "These are for you," he said gruffly. His face was turned away, but Marinette could see that it was clearly red. "I saw you on the way to school and I thought you'd like them."

Marinette smelled the bouquet. The flowers were fresh and smelled lovely, but Marinette was worried. Kim was acting strange. Why would he buy her flowers? To her knowledge, he had a crush on Alix.

"Well, I got her something better than that," a nerdy voice erupted. Max stomped over from the other side of the room and set a stuffed animal in Marinette's hands. It was soft, fluffy, and was a hamster. "According to my calculations," Max said studiously, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Marinette loves hamsters. Do you like it?"

"Umm, yes?" Marinette said. The stuffed hamster was cute, but she couldn't accept it or Kim's roses. This was all too weird. Alya watched Kim and Max spoil Marinette with presents in shock. _"Since when has Marinette been the school's heartthrob?"_ she wondered.

"Marinette." Marinette looked behind her where Ivan sat and noticed he had a box of chocolates in his hand. He handed them to her, not saying a word. Marinette guilty grabbed them. Ivan was caught up in this too and that certainly wouldn't sit well with Mylene who was talking to Rose in the corner. Marinette prayed she didn't notice.

"Marinette, I'm gonna need some answers," Alya said as she opened the box of chocolates. She popped one into her mouth and smiled. They were good quality. Maybe this wasn't completely a bad thing.

"Why are all the boys in class suddenly in love with you?"

"I don't know," Marinette sighed. "Guys have been coming up to me since this morning. Is there something different about me today? I can't figure it out." Alya didn't notice anything different about Marinette either. She just looked like plain, old Marinette though she did have some dirt on the corner of her shirt.

Nino and Adrien walked into the classroom, casually talking, but once Nino looked at Marinette, he stopped in his tracks. Adrien watched his friend approach the girl almost in a trance. "H-hey, Marinette," Nino stammered. "You look really beautiful today. Would you like to… umm… go out sometime?" It took all of Nino's courage to get those words out. He was naturally a shy boy.

"Woah! Nope! Nope!" Alya exclaimed. "I draw the line here. Marinette, we have to figure out what's going on. Something isn't right."

Alya glared at Nino, sending the boy retreating to his seats. She wasn't someone to mess with when angry. Nino hung his head in shame, cautiously walked up to Alya and Marinette as he watched his best friend sit sadly at his desk.

"What's going on with Nino?" he asked. "All of sudden, it seems like he has a crush on Marinette. I thought he got over that a long time ago."

"It's not just Nino!" Marinette moaned. "It's every young guy I meet." She laid her head down on her desk in anguish. Then, a realization struck her. Adrien wasn't fawning over her like everyone else. She sat back up and said, "Wait? You're still acting normal!"

"You're right…" Alya said. She stood up and examined Adrien. "Why is he different from everyone else? Right now, you should be trying to offer Marinette your eternal love." Adrien smiled awkwardly since he didn't know if Alya was serious or making a joke.

Nathanael cautiously approached the group. He noticed them talking in hushed tones and he witnessed all the boys in class giving Marinette presents. A spark of jealousy ignited inside him. He had already accepted his loss against Adrien, but he could compete with the rest of them. Nathanael watched Marinette moan and sigh. She looked distressed and he wanted to help. His heart still longed for her.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" he asked, offering the girl a kind-hearted smile. "It sounds like something is bothering you. I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything, but I noticed that some weird stuff was going on."

"Interesting…" Alya mused. "You aren't affected by Marinette either. Why could that be?" The group thought to themselves quietly. What could be causing this weird behavior in everyone and why were Adrien and Nathanael the exceptions? A lightbulb went off in Alya's mind.

"Hey, Nath? You still like Marinette right?" Alya grinned. Nathanael blushed so red that his face matched his hair. He looked like a tomato. "Yeah…" he mumbled quietly.

"I think I figured it out," Alya exclaimed proudly. Marinette and Adrien both raised an eyebrow. They weren't exactly sure where Alya was going.

"Obviously something about Marinette is making the boys fall over her," Alya explained. "But it only works on boys that aren't in love with her. Nathanael has a crush on Marinette, so whatever love magic she's working has no effect on him, so that must also mean…" All eyes turned to Adrien.

"W-what?" he stammered, waving his hands in the air. "I don't like Marinette that way. We're just friends. Right, Marinette?" Marinette felt like an arrow pierced her heart and she let out a deep sigh.

"As if this day couldn't get any worse!" she groaned. It didn't matter if every guy in Paris loved her, if the only one she loved didn't feel the same way.

"That's the only explanation," Alya retorted. She pressed her finger against Adrien's chest. "So you must be lying! It's okay. I approve. You don't have to keep it a secret anymore." Alya giggled at Adrien's blushing face. Was this the opportunity to finally push Adrien and Marinette together?

"I'm really not lying," Adrien said. "I actually like someone else." Adrien smiled as he thought about his lady. _"Marinette is really nice, but my heart belongs to Ladybug. I could only love her._ "

While Adrien was fondly thinking of his lady, Marinette was cursing herself. Salt was being rubbed in the wounds. _"Not only does he not like me, but he loves someone else!"_ she thought. She felt like she was going to cry, but she couldn't in front of Adrien. It would make her look pathetic.

"I still don't believe you," Alya huffed. She didn't understand why Adrien was being so obstinate. There was no shame in confessing his love. Marinette loved him back anyways. Adrien gave a weak smile, hoping that Alya would get off his back. He felt bad about Marinette's predicament, but he couldn't explain why he wasn't affected. Perhaps he was just a fluke.

A loud cackle filled the classroom. Marinette stood up from her desk immediately. She recognized that laugh from yesterday. It was Aphrodite. Marinette rushed to the window and saw her flying around outside. She seemed to be searching for something. Marinette was so busy worrying about the akuma, she didn't notice that Adrien had also run over to the window.

"That doesn't look good," he said. Marinette jumped, surprised at his presence. "Yeah," she agreed. "It looks like she's looking for something." All of sudden, Aphrodite turned her head and stared straight at Adrien and Marinette. She smiled and then came barreling towards the window.

"Out of the way!" Marinette shouted as she pushed Adrien to the ground. The windows shattered and Aphrodite entered the classroom. She violently turned her head and sniffed the air. "Ladybug?" she shouted. "Where are you? I know you're here. I can smell my curse on you."

Marinette looked down at herself and remembered the strange powder Aphrodite threw at her yesterday. Could that be the cause of today's strange happenings?

" _Shoot,"_ Marinette thought. _"She's obviously looking for me, but I can't fight her here. I need to get away and transform otherwise everyone will find out that I'm Ladybug!"_

Adrien, who Marinette was currently sitting on top of, watched the akuma search the classroom. The students were running out in terror. Aphrodite didn't seem to be bothered by them. She was only looking for Ladybug. _"Does this confirm that Ladybug really is in my class?"_ Adrien thought silently. _"Who could she be?"_

"Did you like my present?" Aphrodite grinned as she knocked over one of the desks. She hadn't noticed Adrien and Marinette laying behind one of the desks near the window, but it would only be a matter of seconds before she found them. "It's not fun, is it?" Aphrodite jokingly frowned as she knocked over another desk. She was getting closer. "Having men fawn over you is awfully exhausting and annoying. I'm glad you got a little taste of what it is like to be me, you stupid bug!"

" _So it was her!"_ Marinette thought angrily. Today had been awful because some akuma wanted Ladybug to take a walk in her shoes. She had been chased by guys and rejected by Adrien. For a goddess of love, all Aphrodite seemed to bring was heartbreak.

Marinette's eyes trailed down to Adrien, who she was sitting on top of. He was staring at her with wide eyes. _"Oh no!"_ Marinette thought, her face turning pink. _"How awkward. I need to get out of here and transform. I hope Adrien doesn't suspect anything."_

Adrien listened to Aphrodite's words. _"She put a curse on Ladybug so that guys would be more attracted to her?"_ Adrien thought. He ruffled his nose in disgust. He didn't like the idea of other guys going after his lady. Only he had that privilege. Adrien gazed up at Marinette who looked prepared to make a move. That's when the dots connected in his head.

" _Isn't Marinette having the same problem that Aphrodite is talking about? Does that mean…"_

Marinette had gotten off him and was poking her head around the corner of the desk. She appeared ready to run. From behind, he could see all the similarities now. The same confidence and grace. The same genius mind that always had a plan. The same petite, but muscular body.

"Marinette?" Adrien reached out his hand to her, but she began to sprint away. She huffed as she ran towards the door, but was stopped by Aphrodite. "What do we have here?" Aphrodite smiled. "A pretty little mouse. Not as beautiful as me though." She laughed at her own joke. Then Aphrodite leaned in close and smelled Marinette. "Found you!" she grinned as she took out her golden staff. "You can't hide anymore!"

Marinette stood there frozen, unsure of what to do. She couldn't transform because Adrien was in the room, but she couldn't fight back like this. She scanned the classroom for something to help her fight, but found nothing. _"I'm screwed,"_ Marinette thought.

There was a bright green light from the corner of the classroom. Aphrodite and Marinette looked over and saw a smiling Chat Noir appear from behind the desks. "Want some help?" he winked. He leaped over the desks and in front of Marinette. He pulled out his baton and extended it. "I'd hate to hurt such a pretty face," he taunted to Aphrodite. "But for my lady, I'd do anything!"

He began to fight Aphrodite in a sword battle. She was stronger than he anticipated and was putting up a good fight. Chat Noir prayed that Marinette would figure out what was going on and transform. Someone needed to purify the akuma. That's why he had let Plagg come out and decided to transform in the classroom. If he knew her secret, what was the point in hiding his?

As Chat Noir fought, Marinette wondered where he came from. He must have jumped in through the broken window. Marinette quietly sneaked over the area where Adrien was hiding, but to her surprise he was gone.

" _What happened to him?"_ she thought in surprise. _"He was right here thirty seconds ago."_ She glanced back over at Chat Noir who was currently losing in his battle against Aphrodite. _"Oh god, please no. Tell me this is a dream."_

"You're help is appreciated at any time, LB!" Chat Noir shouted as Aphrodite took a swing. He ducked down and the staff narrowly missed his head. Marinette turned white as her thoughts were confirmed. Adrien was Chat Noir and he knew she was Ladybug.

" _Well…"_ Marinette thought slowly. _"Ah, screw it!"_

Marinette opened her purse and Tikki flew out. Tikki saw Chat Noir and then looked back at Marinette with a questioning expression. It meant, "Do you really want to do this?" Marinette shrugged. There was no keeping the secret at this point. The cat was out of the bag, quite literally. What was important now was stopping the akuma.

"Tikki, spots on!"

Marinette transformed into Ladybug and took her yo-yo off her belt. "Over here!" she shouted. Aphrodite turned around and flew towards Ladybug. "I knew you'd come out!" Aphrodite smiled. "You're little lover boy was fun, but now the real fight begins!"

Chat Noir crossed his arms and frowned. _"Little lover boy?"_ he thought. _"I take offense to that."_

Ladybug dodged a swarm of sharp hearts that Aphrodite sent after her. She ran to the front of the classroom and swung her yo-yo around, creating a barrier. Aphrodite sent another row of hearts, but they reflected back at her. The goddess dodged them and they almost ran straight into Chat Noir, narrowly missing his tail.

"Could you be a little more careful!" he exclaimed. He hopped onto a desk and into the air. He did a flip and landed besides his lady.

"You know what they say," he cheekily grinned. "Two hearts are better than one." Ladybug groaned at his atrocious joke. It was impossible to imagine that this freak was actually Adrien Agreste, the literal definition of perfection.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug threw her yo-yo up and down came a red and black spotted mirror. "A mirror?" Ladybug frowned. "Are we going to stare at ourselves?" Chat Noir asked. "Because I could stare at you all day." Ladybug ignored his comment and looked around for something to do with the mirror.

She looked at Aphrodite and then at a black whiteboard marker sitting on the teacher's desk. _"Got it!"_ she smiled. She uncapped the marker and began to draw on the mirror. Chat Noir watched over her shoulder, beginning to figure out the plan. "You're quite the artist, m'lady," he complimented her.

"I try my best," she retorted.

"Enough with the small talk," Aphrodite growled. "Fight me!"

"Oh, we will!" Ladybug laughed. She jumped in front of Aphrodite and held out the mirror. Aphrodite looked at her reflection and gasped in horror. Over her beautiful face was a black, thick mustache and dozens of black spots. She looked disgusting. Aphrodite howled in terror and covered her face with her open hand. "Don't look at me!" she shouted. "I'm hideous!"

Ladybug swiftly grabbed her staff from her other hand and snapped it over her legs. A purple butterfly came flying out. "Time to stop your reign of terror, little akuma!" Ladybug shouted as she used her yo-yo to capture the insect. The device snapped back open and a white butterfly emerged and flew out the broken window.

"Bye-bye, little butterfly!"

"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug threw the mirror towards the ceiling and it dissolved into red light. The light swirled around the broken window, instantly fixing it. The classroom returned to its organized state and a purple mist appeared around the akuma victim. There was a beautiful girl with long, blonde hair sitting where Aphrodite once was.

"W-where am I?" she stammered. Ladybug offered her a hand. "It's okay," she smiled. "Are you alright?" The girl shook her head. "The last thing I remember is being swarmed by a bunch of guys. They all wanted to give me presents for Valentine's Day, but I already have someone I like. They were starting to get really annoying, but after that, I don't remember."

"Don't push yourself," Ladybug smiled, patting the girl on the back. "Everything is fine now. You should go home." The girl nodded and quickly left the classroom. Ladybug crossed her arms and giggled. _"Now everything should be back to normal and I don't have to worry about all those guys anymore,"_ she thought, letting out a sigh of relief. But there was one more problem to deal with.

Chat Noir was standing by the board, playing with his tail. He got distracted so easily, just like a normal cat. "Hey," Ladybug said to get his attention. He looked up quickly and let go of his tail.

"I should get going…" he said, beginning to inch towards the door.

"Not so fast," Ladybug frowned. Her earrings began to beep, but she ignored it. "You do know that you could have exposed your identity to an unsuspecting civilian, right?"

"I'm no fool, my lady," Chat Noir replied. "I figured out you and Marinette were one in the same before I made my move." He walked up to her and put his hand around her waist. "I guess I was in love with you after all and just didn't know. No wonder Aphrodite's spell didn't work on me."

"Does that mean you like me?" Ladybug asked. "Like both of me?"

"I love every part of you," Chat Noir beamed. He pulled Ladybug closer. She thought to herself for a moment. Technically speaking, Chat Noir was Adrien. And Chat Noir liked Ladybug who was Marinette. So by association, Adrien liked Marinette and god damn it, that was good enough for her.

"I love you too," she smiled. Chat Noir blushed, surprised at her confession. He didn't believe that Ladybug loved him and he always thought Marinette had a neutral feeling about him. She wouldn't be lying for his sake, would she?

Ladybug noticed his hesitant expression. "It's the truth, idiot," she sighed. "Do I have to prove it to you?" Ladybug grabbed the back of Chat Noir's head and pulled him close. She kissed him on the lips and quickly pulled back. It was an impulsive decision, one she definitely couldn't have gone through with as Marinette. But she was Ladybug right now and her confidence had no bounds.

Chat Noir turned even redder. "Wow…" he said in awe. His stomach was doing flips. _"If this is a dream, I don't want to ever wake up!"_ he thought. Ladybug began to say something, but he pressed his finger of his lips. "You had your turn," he smiled. "Now it's mine." He gave her the most passionate kiss he could. When it ended, they looked at each other and laughed.

"I love you."

"Me too, you silly cat."

* * *

 **Is it possible for me to write anything that isn't a reveal fic? Probably not. :P**


End file.
